What’s Ahead for Congress in 2018?

With the new year comes new ambitions and new agenda items in Congress. But not every agenda is the same.

Most lawmakers in Washington say they want a deal to protect the children of undocumented immigrants through the DACA program, but it’s unclear when and how that deal will come together. There’s also some speculation as to when or if Republicans in Congress have the appetite for another crack at repealing Obamacare.

For now, many lawmakers from the GOP are riding high on passage of a tax overhaul package at the end of 2017, the first major legislative victory during President Donald Trump’s administration.

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint Twp.) says Republicans are ignoring economic experts who say the tax plan will cause long-term deficit issues, in favor of their own belief that growth will overcome the shortfall.

“That’s not what the experts [believe]. That’s not what the people who really study this say,” says Kildee.

Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) says the national deficit will make it necessary to tackle entitlement spending on programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

“We have substantial budget issues in this country… this is not in a vacuum that we can solve these issues,” he tells Detroit Today.

Bishop says there isn’t an effort underway to eliminate entitlements and benefits people are currently receiving, but rather a plan for the future of those benefits for future generations.

To hear more about the year to come in Congress, click on the audio player above.

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